Badlands on Oglala Lakota Reservation (South Dakota)

Birch Forest near Leadville, CO

Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP (Colorado)

Mt. Elbert Summit - 14,440 ft (Colorado)

Base of Andrews Glacier in Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)

Zion National Park (Utah)

Zion National Park - Take 2

Nature has a way of blowing me away…over and over again.

A typical trail in Atlanta in wintertime

Atlanta is known for many things.  ‘Gone with the Wind’, countless roads named “Peachtree [something]” and underperforming sports teams (sorry, but it’s true).  However, few outside the South think of Atlanta as a center of trail running culture.  That’s too bad, because it is.  I should know. I lived in Atlanta for almost ten years and transitioned from road to trail running in this Pearl of the South before moving west to California.

GUTS

You can’t talk about Atlanta trail running without first talking about GUTS. GUTS stands for Georgia Ultra and Trail Running Society and is just about the best acronym I’ve come across.  This club is headed up by no other than local trail legend Janice Anderson, who has finished second to Ann Trason at Western States and even held the women’s 100 mile trail record at one point (click here for an interview I did with Janice a few years ago).

GUTS organizes several key races in and around Atlanta and has weekly trail runs for its members.

Best Trails

Kennesaw Mountain

Kennesaw Mountain, about 45 mins northwest of the city center, provides the most extensive trail system in the Atlanta area.  As such, it is particular popular for those weekend long runs (unless you have the time to head 2-3 hours north to the Appalachian Mountains)

“The River”

The River is technically called “Cochran Shoals”, but no one really calls it that.  Conveniently located near two major interstates (75 and 285) and much closer to most Atlanta offices, this trail network is popular for pre-/post-work runs.  On particularly nice days, this place can get really crowded.  I love running here in the early, early morning while fog is hovering on the Chattahoochee River.  Make sure to get off the main trail and explore the single tracks.  But watch out, the footing can get pretty technical.

“East Palisades”

This is actually my favorite trail ‘system’ in Atlanta, even though it’s a bit short (4-5 miles total).  It’s always quiet around here and you are likely to see all kinds of wildlife (I almost tripped over a fox once).

Finally, I put together an open source Google map of all Atlanta trail heads back in 2007 or 2008.  Many members of the community participated and the map is comprehensive.  As a matter of fact, it is still being updated.  Find it here:

Key Races

SweetH20 50k (and half-marathon)

This is what the race is famous for

This race has a river crossing that is so gnarly that they can’t even include it some years.  The year I ran the race (race report on my old blog), I was submerged up to my shoulders (I’m 6’0”) and my legs were swept away by the currents.  Only the rope I was desperately holding on to saved me from being swept away.  Oh, and that is half-way through the race.  Enjoy running the rest of the way in soggy shoes.

Hot 2 Trot

This event, put on by GUTS, is the only timed event in the area.  It’s also in August.  In Atlanta.  I was never tough enough to run it.

Atlanta-Based Trail Running Bloggers

Christian Griffith

Feel free to share additional info in the comments.

The front half of the year is a bit thin because of the aforementioned reasons as well as my injury that I’m slowly coming back from.  (I’m taking my time and that seems to be working well.)

(all plans tentative)

January

Backcountry ice skating featuring the ever graceful Gretchen

It’s no secret that the snow in the high country is missing.  Gretchen has already outlined a new emerging sport: backcountry ice-skating. Time is a bit limited these days, but I am taking a vacation day to head up high.  Either the trails are still dry by then or there will be fresh snow. Can’t lose either way.  (There is a back up option not in the high country if it’s snowing/raining the day I’m supposed to go).

March

Crewing Mrs. Golden Trails.

May

I would like to try one of Brazen Racing’s races.  Brazen has designed a course that runs through Wildcat Canyon Regional Park, which is directly adjacent to Tilden.  The course (almost) tops out on Wildcat Peak which is my favorite and easily my most summitted Peak. I also havent’ run a race this short in years.  It’ll be fun to let it fly!

August

If Mike Palmer hosts his annual Psychedelic Climacteric (race report from 2009 on my old blog), I will be running that.

September

I will return to Diablo and upgrade to the 50k this time. It will be a good prep race for…

October

Dick Collins 50 miler!  One of the classics and I know the northern half of the course like the back of my hand.  I’ve been wanting to run this race for years and plan to do well.

November

Quad Dipsea.  ‘Nuff said.

Let me know if we might cross paths in 2012!

Let’s get right to it in reverse order:

No. 10: Kilian’s Quest – Season 3, Episode 5

For my money, Kilian is the best trail runner in the world. And it’s not even close.  These Kilian Quest videos are, admittedly, a bit over produced.  What’s great about this one though is that Kilian teaches a couple of lessons on how to tackle the steepest uphills and downhills.

No. 9- Coaching Endurance UltraRunning 2011 Part 1

No such list would be complete without including one of Matt Hart’s regular trail running videos.  If you’re not following him on youtube, do so now.

No. 8 Photo Finish for 2nd Woman at Western States 2011

Mere miles from the 2011 Western States finish, 2nd and 3rd place runners Kami Semick and Nikki Kimball were stopped in their tracks by a bear.  As a result, they both ended up coming in together on the track. Amazing moment, but bad video.  Would have been number 1 with better quality.

No. 7 – Chamonix – Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB) 2011

Honestly, this video could have been number one if not for the awful, awful music.  Feel free to watch on mute. The imagery captured by helicopter during the race is simply spectacular!

No. 6 – The Runner in Winter – Anton Krupicka

While the UTMB video was terrible in terms of music selection, this one is the complete opposite.  The 10 minute clip chronicles Tony as he runs in the Colorado front range during winter.

No. 5 Uli Steck’s Eiger North Face Ascent

I’ve blogged about this one before.  Also, iRunFar just posted an interview with Uli.  This may be the best video of the bunch, but it’s not purely running, so I dropped it a few spots.

No. 4 Geoff Roes Slogging to the Top

Prior to this video, there was very little online video content on Geoff save the iRunFar interviews.  In a way, we finally got to know him through this video (as much as you can in 12 minutes).

No. 3 – The Endurables NF 50 recap video

This is a subjective list, which means it’s biased. However, the Headlands are such a special place to run. Also, they captured a key moment in the race: Mike Wolfe and Dakota passing Geoff. It’s almost like a SportsCenter highlight.

No. 2 Salomon’s Hardrock 100

If you’re not excited for the 2012 version of Hardrock, then you should be.  Roess, Krupicka, Dakota, Koerner, etc., etc.  This is as stacked as the field may ever get in Silverton…until they loosen the elite entry requirement.

No. 1 – “Unbreakable” Trailer

It’s a trailer.  It’s been watched over 100,000 times in less than six months.  This is as close to Bieber fever as our sport has gotten. Also, I’m probably responsible for about 843 844 of those views

What do you think?  Did I get them all or did I miss any videos from last year?

Bay Area Ultra Runners

As John M. points out in the comments, this is oldest of the Bay Area race organizers.  Many classics such as Miwok 100k, Ohlone Wilderness 50k and Quad Dipsea are organized by this group.  (With the exception of Lake Sonoma 50 mile, these races are also all part of the PA/USATF schedule listed below.)

Brazen Racing

I have yet to run a Brazen Racing event, but they are getting nothing but rave reviews.  The races tend to be half-marathon/10k/5k distances with some variation (notably the Diablo Trails Challenge 50k).

• Summit Rock Half Report (Leor Pantilat)
• Rocky Ridge Championships Report (Leor Pantilat)

Coastal Trail Runs

It may not seem like it, but Coastal has been around for over two years now.  I’ve been running many their races since the series’ inception.  They are always professional and work hard to care for all runners’ needs.  Sometimes the turn out for races is small, but, watch out!: Coastal is definitely growing.

• Grizzly Peak Marathon (me)
• Bay Trails Marathon (Scott Dunlap)

Envirosports

Envirosports has been around forever.  You’ll find a different scene here than at any of the other organizers.  There tend to be more trail run newbies, which can be refreshing. I have run two of their races, and while their aid stations aren’t my favorite, Envirosports is always a good back up option in my opinion.

• Golden Gate Headlands Trail Marathon (my old blog)

Fleet Feet Sacramento

On a recommendation by Tri-Karen-Tri, I am including Fleet Feet Sacramento’s races.  This is a mix of trail and road runs.

NorCalUltras

Julie Fingar has a superb reputation as a RD and an impressive line-up of classic ultras in Northern California.  I haven’t run any of her races, but Dick Collins, which is run on my backyard trails, is #1 of my race bucket list right now.  (Note, there is some overlap with the PA/USATF calendar listed below).

PA/USATF

There are many, many classic races on the calendar for PA/USATF.  And while they haven’t released the 2012 calendar, it will likely look very similar to 2011. This list includes many

• Dick Collins 50 (Dave Mackey)
• Skyline 50k (Jean Pommier)

Troy’s California Trail Runs

This race series is actually new to the scene as of last year.  I really like the variety of courses that they advertise, especially those deeper in the Sierra, such as the Echo Summit Trail Challenge.  Look for me at one of these runs in 2012!

Ultrarunner.net

This group is out of Sacramento and generally runs low-key races in the Sacramento area and the Sierra Nevada Foothills.  I have really enjoyed their races in the past.  The low key atmosphere is much to my liking. Their annual Lake of the Sky runs are very high on my to-do list.

• Rucky Chucky 50k (Mark Tanaka)
• Pony Express 30k (me)
• Lake of the Sky (Gretchen Brugman)

Update: In very tragic news, RD Robert Mathis and his wife died after getting struck by a vehicle while crossing a street.  I did not know Robert well, but he was always kind in the few interactions I had with him.  May Robert and his wife rest in piece.

PCTR/ITR

I won’t say much here.  If you’re looking for facts, read Scott’s summary.  If you’re looking for drama, check out the comment section of that blog post.

All in all, us Bay Area runners are blessed with so many trail race options.  As someone who moved here from the East Coast, I have not forgotten how wonderful that is.

Enjoy the trails!

If you’re like most ultra and trail runners, you’ve already planned your goal races for 2012.  They may be classics like Miwok, Western States or (newly classic) The North Face 50.  But how about sprinkling in some fun shorter races?  I have run quite a few around here (SF Bay Area) and thought I might provide some recommendations. These are all pretty under-the-radar type races and likely not to sell out any time soon. So join the party!

My favorite trail in Tilden. Buttery single track near the top of Volmer Peak. Expansive Bay views (incl. GG Bridge, SF, Alcatraz, etc.) to the left.

Grizzly Peak Marathon

These are my home trails here in Berkeley (Tilden Park).  What I love about Tilden is the variety of trails: shady single track, technical trails, wide open fire roads, views of Golden Gate Bridge…whatever your want, Tilden’s got it.  This race does a nice job showing off Tilden’s variety.  I ran the marathon version of it a couple of years ago and hope to return in 2013. I’m pretty sure that, on a good day, I could run this sub-4 hours. It would have to be a really good day though.

Auburn Trail Runs (June 2)
I suffered badly here a couple of years ago on one of those 100 degree days in Auburn and spent over 7 hours completing the 34 mile course.  What’s neat about this race (other than the very small size) is that you get to run the the last few miles of the Western States course. Cross iconic No Hand Bridge without having to run Western States (very hard) let alone get into Western States (impossible).

The beautiful (and tough!) French Trail. (c) Ian Sharman http://sharmanian.blogspot.com/

Cinderella Runs (May 12 and August 18, 2012)

Part of the Coastal Trail Runs Series, this race comes in four distances (50k, Marathon, Half-Marathon and 10k). This race is not particularly difficult, but if you haven’t run the French Trail, then you haven’t enjoyed East Bay Trails at their finest.  Several steep climbs among beautiful Redwood trees make this trail an absolute treasure.  There are other races that traverse these trails, but Wendell and Leng have come up with the best combination of trails to run in the Oakland hills. Oh, and beware the Cinderella trail: It’s a brutal downhill to finish of the race.

• What are your favorite ‘under the radar’ races?

Stretching

Duh! This seems like an obvious one.  It is quite a change for me though.  I warm up with some light stretching before every run and do extended stretches (~15 mins) after every run as well.  The key here is to not just do it as running ramps up and forget about it when I’m back in shape, but to keep it up over time and make it a habit. I used to always make excuses that I didn’t have enough time to stretch.  These days, I’d rather run a mile or two less, but take care of business.

I have also gotten creative on when to stretch to save on time. I stretch in shower, while brushing my teeth, when I’m talking to my mom on the phone, when filling up my car with gas, etc, etc. There are lots of 20-30 second stretches of time during the day so to speak.

When bending forward, I could only get my knuckles down to my knees. Now, I easily touch my knuckles to the ground with my knees straight. (try it!)

Adjusting my Running Gait

Dozens of old running shoes prove over and over: I’m a heel striker.  That’s not healthy.  It puts considerably strain on the hamstring among other body parts.  I firmly believe that this was one of the reasons, if not the main reason, that I got hurt.  As a result, I have been studying running form mainly by watching youtube videos.  This is a great that shows the two running styles side by side:

If you want something less dry and more pleasing to the trailrunner’s eye, there’s always Anton’s first movie trailer (“Indulgence”):

I will say that it’s taking a bit for me to adjust, but I think it’s worth my time in the long run. Watching top runners on youtube is a great way to learn better form (you may also want to check out Geoff Roes’ “Slogging to the Top“)

Cross-Training

Finally, I have found a cross training exercise that works for me.  Biking or swimming are great, but they just don’t do it for me. Bikram Yoga is now part of my weekly routine.  I would recommend to find what works for you.  It doesn’t necessarily have to be an aerobic work out.  (A lot of ultra runners seem to like cross fit as well).  Finally, make no mistake, Bikram is hard, especially for beginners.

In all, there are only three things that I’m changing, but they are all significant.  It will take a while for me to get back to where I used to be in terms of overall fitness, and the changes I am undertaking aren’t exactly a short cut.  But I believe that it will be worth it in the long run.

• Are there random times that you are stretching?
• Have you tried changing your form at any point in your running career?
• What sort of cross training do you do?

I realize that 9 hrs is a goal time for many runners, so here are my splits if you want some numbers to pace yourself against.  If this is your first 50 miler (it was mine), please know that this is a very hilly course. I had very good course knowledge, as I had trained and raced on the course countless times.  The weather was ok (it only rained for about an hour during the race), but the trails very muddy.  2011 looks to be drier, so expect faster times this year.

So, here are my splits as taken by my crew (the course is slightly different this year, but the aid stations and distances in between are the same).

Start to Tennessee Valley (1:20):

This section is run completely in the dark, but it’s not technical so it’s fairly easy running. I ran with the intention to start out controlled.  It’s easy to start out fast after a long taper and running on fresh legs.  My strategy worked out well: I would not be passed all day after the initial shuffling.

Tennessee Valley to Bootjack (1:43):

This section is run during the dawn.  It rained last year and it was pretty windy off the ocean going up Mt. Tam.  Typical December weather.

Bootjack to Stinson Beach (1:41):

I ran strong in this section.  Keep in mind that you have to step out of the way of the front runners on the narrow single track to the McKennan Gulch Aid Station. This takes time and will slow you down a bit, but please do it out of courtesy to runners ahead of you.  This is also your chance to marvel at the front runners.

Stinson Beach to Bootjack (:48):

This was perhaps my low point.  I struggled getting back up Tam.  Thankfully, I had a pacer to coach me through this section.

Bootjack to Tennessee Valley (2:31):

Once I got to Bootjack I felt like a million bucks again and flew down the mountain: my best section of the day.  The Redwood trail section was super muddy (a slip-and-slide, really). Ditto for the climb out of Muir Beach.

Tennessee Valley to Finish (1:00):

Be wary of the Marincello Trail leading out of TV.  This is where Heras crushed Geoff Roes last year.  It’s a runnable trail if your legs are good, but it’s a long, slow climb if your legs are shot.  Run wisely.

Here is a link to my detailed race report as well as additional post-race thoughts.

Good luck!

Unfortunately, there is little information about high hamstring tendinopathy out there.  If you google it, you will find a good, but very academica-ey paper and a bunch of (mostly) useless stuff on message boards.

I’m no doctor, but I have some first hand experiences that, hopefully, can be of use to others. This injury is fairly rare, so some of the things that worked me for were discovered purely through experimentation.

Symptoms

First off, how do you know you have high hamstring tendinopathy?  I initially was misdiagnosed with a simple hamstring “pull”, an injury that lasts 4-6 weeks, I think.  Here were my symptoms

• Pain in the upper hamstring area, most notably where the hamstring connects with the sitz bone
• The pain is deep in the muscle, not at the surface
• Pain came on slowly over time (as opposed to suddenly due to a traumatic movement of some sort)
• Pain while driving a car
• Pain when sitting a long time, especially at a desk or on hard surfaces
• Pain when sitting on an airplane
• When trying the ‘touch your toe’ stretch, I could get my knuckles down to my knees (uh oh!)
• Pain at the outset of a run, but going away once ‘warmed up’…then coming back later on
• Numbing of entire leg while running (this is when I realized I had to go see someone to get this fixed)
• Occasional glut pain
• It hurts most when getting out of bed in the morning

It hurt right there

(Note: I do not recommend self-diagnosis, but finding the best sports physician possible to help you figure out what you really have)

Causes

I’m not sure what the actual cause of my injury was.  My best guess: Running 10,000 miles on mostly mountainous terrain for over four years and never stretching.  That’s the kind of thing you can do in your 20s, but not, as it turns out, in your 30s.

There may be other causes, but I’m going with the above.

How to Get Better

Essentially, you’re trying to heal an inflamed muscle, so rest is your best friend.  I committed early on to not patch up my injury and come back quickly but to take as much time as necessary to heal.  My main goal is to run into my 70s and 80s and not to run as soon as possible with a high likelihood of re-injury.

Loosen Your Hamstring, in particular, and leg muscles in general – I have a foam roller (black; the color indicates how hard the roller is) and would roll out my hamstrings, quads, IT bands and glutes every single day for the first two or three months. (I mean: every. single. day.) I hated this.  Watching the Mavs win and listening to Western States podcasts made it a bit more bearable (yes, that’s how along ago all this started).

Eventually, I started stretching – lightly – and increasing my flexibility.  I can now touch my toes at any point in the day, which is a huge accomplishment considering where I started.  Eventually, I was able to start doing yoga (after about 4 months), which I consider invaluable in my recovery (more on that later).

Also, the wonderful Mrs. Golden Trails would massage my hamstrings two to three times a week during months two and three.  If you have someone who can do this for you on a regular basis, I would highly recommend taking advantage of that.  (We started this about 4-6 weeks in and maybe should have done it sooner).

Ice - I didn’t think this would work, but icing did help quite a bit at the beginning to calm down the inflamed muscle.

Strengthen Your Core – My PT insisted on this.  I would (still) argue that my core was pretty strong to begin with.  I passed all strength tests with flying colors.  Doing several 60 second planks should be *very* easy.  Anyways, just mentioning it, because it may help the reader.

Compression - I own one pair of compression shorts.  For a while, I wore those to bed which helped alleviate some of the pain I felt in the mornings.

Everyday Issues and How to Solve Them

Rest. Rest. Rest. – At first, my hamstring hurt all the time.  After a few weeks (4-6 weeks), I got to the point where I would have a few pain free hours during the day and could even walk a few steps without pain.  Avoid walking, standing and sitting on a desk (or other hard) chair for long periods of time. Easier said than done, I know.  “Avoid” = “minimize as much as you can”.

Do what you can.  I used to live half a mile from the subway and Mrs Golden Trails would sometimes drop me off/pick me up from there.  It’s pretty sad for me to even think about, but any walking would re-aggravate the injury.  Also, Mrs. Golden Trails rocks.

Sit On a Pillow While Driving - I don’t know how I figured this out, but after weeks of bad pain any time I drove, discovering this was an absolute game changer.  I would also bring something soft to sit on airplanes, at sporting events, etc.  Sitting on soft surfaces puts less pressure on your hamstrings, so that made me feel better.

Get a Standing Set Up at Work (if possible) – I realize, this is not possible for most, but if your employer pays for such perks – take advantage.  Regularly being able to switch between sitting and standing is gold.  Also, if you get a really fancy chair (Herman Miller!), you can bend the chair bottom (the part you sit on) forward.  Again, less pressure on your hamstrings = happier hamstrings.

Helpful Exercises

Bridges - I don’t like this exercise, but I did it anyways.  It helped.  Here is an example.

If that’s boring, try doing it with a stability ball.

Swimming – After a while (6 weeks or so), I started swimming.  At the beginning, all I did could do was pulling.  Swimming is boring to me, but was great for getting my heart rate up on a regular basis.

Bikram Yoga (the hot kind) – OK, so you may have done yoga before.  Forget all about it.  This is not the same.  This is no granola, “ommmmmm” yoga you may imagine or have done before: this is a *workout*.  I’ve been doing it for two months now, and it’s changing my body in a hurry.  If I had to name one single thing that helped towards recovery, it’s Bikram.

Let me tell you: it’s hard.  Most newbies I’ve seen, don’t make it through the first class (count me as one of them).  Even my mother-in-law, who had been practicing yoga for 10 years before I took her for the first time, ended up throwing up 25 minutes into her first class. She also came back and finished out the session.  Sound a bit like ultra-running?  It’s not too different.  It’s extreme and pushes your body to a place you likely haven’t been before.  Try it.

If you have additional questions about my experience, please ask in the comments.  I will try my best to get back to you.

Get well soon!

The good news is that I am definitely better.  The bad news is that it’s taking baby steps to get there.  I am now able to walk every single morning.  Usually, I put in a mile or two.  That doesn’t sound like much, but, trust me, it’s progress.  Over the last week or so, I have been able to throw in short, short jogs of about a half mile or so.  As a result, my weekly mileage last week was 1.5.  Back in the day, that was a rounding error, now it’s progress.

Ultrarunning has taught me patience and every ounce of it is being tested right now. It has also made me more tenacious.  It is this patience and tenacity that will eventually bring me back to the starting line of an ultra.

…

On a completely different note, make sure to read “New Tool for Mountain Climbers: A Stopwatch” from last weekend’s New York Times. It reminded me of last summer when I was climbing 14ers as fast as I could.  The article also mentions this awesome video of Ueli Steck running up the Eiger in Switzerland.  Perhaps the best video on YouTube. Enjoy!